Exhuming Mass Graves: Bringing Justice and Closure to Victims of the Yazidi Genocide

For over seven years, Nadia’s Initiative has supported survivors of the 2014 Yazidi genocide, centering their voices and leading efforts focused on justice, recovery, and healing. Recognizing that uncovering the fate of missing loved ones remains one of the most urgent priorities for survivors, Nadia’s Initiative provided advocacy training to Yazidi families – including survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) – to help them effectively voice their demands and engage directly with key decision-makers.

This led to a high-level meeting with Iraqi officials in Baghdad in October 2024. During the meeting, Yazidi families representing those who remain missing (over 2,500 in total) shared their powerful testimonies, prompting the government to launch new exhumation operations for mass graves. Beginning in early 2025, and with NI’s support, including meals, equipment, coordination, and use of the Women’s Center, the Directorate of Mass Graves Affairs exhumed and documented more than a dozen individual and mass graves, marking a significant step toward closure for many Yazidi families.

NI remains committed to restoring dignity to victims, empowering survivors, and creating pathways to remembrance, justice, and healing.